Journal article
Discrete colour polymorphism in the tawny dragon lizard (Ctenophorus decresii) and differences in signal conspicuousness among morphs
LC Teasdale, M Stevens, D Stuart-Fox
Journal of Evolutionary Biology | Published : 2013
DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12115
Abstract
Intraspecific colour variation is common in nature and can vary from the coexistence of discrete colour variants in polymorphic species to continuous variation. Whether coloration is continuous or discrete is often ambiguous and many species exhibit a combination of the two. The nature of the variation (discrete or continuous) has implications for both the genetic basis of the colour variation and the evolutionary processes generating and maintaining it. Consequently, it is important to qualify the existence of discrete morphs, particularly in relation to the animal's visual system. In this study, we quantified male throat colour variation in Ctenophorus decresii tawny dragon lizard and test..
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Awarded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
We thank Sally South, Claire Mclean and Adnan Moussalli for help in the field and Sandy Clarke for statistical advice. Funding was from the Australian Research Council (DP1092908). Martin Stevens was supported by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council David Phillips Research Fellowship (BB/G022887/1). The research was conducted under the following permits: South Australia Department of Environment and Natural Resources Permit to Undertake Scientific Research (E25861-1), South Australian Wildlife Ethics Committee approval (18/2010), the University of Melbourne Animal Ethics Committee approval (1011760) and South Australian Licence for Teaching, Research or Experimentation Involving Animals (15/0231).